I think most children of primary school age are fascinated by magicians and magic tricks and so I imagine are likely to find Max’s story very engaging and entertaining, especially as the rather simple, straightforward storytelling is ideal for appealing to youngsters of seven to ten years old. However, I imagine that most eleven/ twelve-year-olds would probably find its simplicity rather boring, especially if they are confident readers. Although there is a lot of fun interwoven into the story, there are also themes and references which are dark and disturbing (bullying, intimidation, extortion, the use of knives and guns) and for this reason I’d be concerned about a young child reading it on their own. However, read aloud by (or with) an adult it offers lots of opportunities for some difficult topics to be explored as the young reader/listener follows Max’s adventures and learns how he deals with the various dilemmas he faces. A real strength of the story is that a child is encouraged to believe that problems can be overcome, particularly when you have the support of a loving family and good friends ... and Max has both! I think the portrayals of each of the characters brought them to life in a very vivid way and I liked the many ways in which they all helped Max to think about the consequences of his actions as he experimented with using his newly-discovered magic powers. I think that the excellent illustrations very evocatively capture the scenes being described and I’m sure children will enjoy discovering the ‘magic’ of seeing the images of the top-hat change as they flip through the lower right-hand corners of the pages! What I feel slightly less sure about is how many will appreciate the use of Cockney rhyming slang, especially if this is the first time they’ve come across it, so this reinforces my belief that the story will probably be best appreciated if an adult is on hand to explain it more clearly. As it’s clear that this is the first story in a planned series so I’m sure that any child who has enjoyed it will be eagerly anticipating joining Max and his friends on future adventures. With thanks to the publisher and Readers First for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun yet not unique children’s story. The art is interesting but the front cover doesn’t stand out enough for children to want to buy it. There are many similar books they could go for instead, and unfortunately it’s likely that these will be much better written. The story is very basic and generic, magic is done time and time again but there is little that sets this story apart from its predessecors. The basic plot and formulaic story means it caters towards a very young audience who might be intrigued by the magical plot, older readers could be bored with the story that had definitely been done before. It isn’t badly written, just nothing sets it apart from a very wide range of similar books. It will entertain some young readers but it isn’t very original and lacks anything setting the story apart for older readers who might want a more engaging plot

Love your magic and personality

Even though this is a children's book, and is clearly intended to be as accessible as possible for young readers given that the font is not too dissimilar to comic sans as well as certain words being emphasised in bold, the "anything is possible" theme is something that adults can relate to and therefore may appeal to them as much as their kids. It's also very much a case of writing what you know as the author has a background in magic and started his television career hosting on Children's ITV so knows how to talk to young people and write in a language that the target audience of this book will understand. There's no time wasted in setting the scene, as readers are introduced to Max's family at the earliest opportunity, and there's some potential conflict to look out for; in particular between the grandmother who encourages the magic tricks and the parents (with the father calling Max a "born clown" and the mother concerned about the mess Max makes), and between Max and Bottley (the school bully who is immune from whatever the title character conjures up...)

Max Mullers lives in East London with his family: Mum, Dad, two brothers, a sister and Lucky, the family dog. Max loves magic, and when he grows up he wants to be a magician - just like his grandparents were back in the day. For now, he practices magic at every opportunity - sometimes successfully, and sometimes with disastrous results! This book is the first in a potential series of books with Max Magic, and here we get to know Max, his family and his close group of friends as they all go about their daily lives in the East End of London. There are also some typical villains in the story - a bully at Max's school (George Bottley); and The Crayfish Twins, who breathe terror through the East End market where Max's dad has a toy stall. The story is a pretty formulaic children's story, but it is an enjoyable read and will no doubt be enjoyed by many children.